Will 2018 Ford Edge Be More Sportier?

By Justin Patterson27 Apr 2017

The Ford Edge is a mid-size crossover SUV, and up until this latest incarnation, came with a third-row of seating that made it especially useful for carrying the family. Ford have now dropped that option, preferring instead to give the passengers a little more room. The Edge is designed to fit above the subcompact EcoSport and compact Escape but below the three-row Flex, Explorer and Expedition.

We aren’t expecting Ford to update the Edge all that much for the 2018 Model Year, sure there will be some updates, but nothing radical; you know that updates will be slim when Ford make a big deal about the ‘Sport Appearance’ package they’re offering (for an extra $1,295).

Will The New 2018 Ford Edge Be Sporty?

Let’s start with that package … yes, for an extra twelve hundred bucks, you can get ‘dark trim & sporty features’. This actually equates to a little more than it sounds – special 19” dark colored alloy wheels, dark grille, dark mirror caps, rear spoiler, blacked out headlamp bezels, window tints and front and rear skid plates, but these really are only for decoration. Even with the $1,200+ pricetag, there is a caveat … it’s only available on the mid-level SEL trim or above – not on the base model.

As for the rest of the exterior, if you’ve seen the 2017 Edge, you’ve pretty much seen the 2018 Model Year as well – there isn’t that much difference.

Same SUV, Same Engines

Under the hood should be the same line-up of engines that were fitted in the predecessor, so again, no change there. These will be the 2.0 liter 4-cylinder EcoBoost with 245 BHP and 275 lb/ft of torque, an option for the 3.5 liter V6 with 280 BHP and 250 lb/ft or if you pick the top-level Sport trim (for around $40,000) then you can have the 2.7 liter 4-cylinder twin-turbo EcoBoost motor with 315 BHP and 350 lb/ft of torque – that’s pretty useable.

All engines on all trim levels will get the 6-speed SelectShift automatic transmission, and front-wheel drive is standard, but there is an option for all-wheel drive (we think that all-wheel drive will be standard on the Sport trim).

Gas mileage is reasonable too – the base SE model with the 2.0 liter motor has an official rating of 20/29/24 (city, highway and combined) MPG. For those of you that are interested, the Edge will knock-out a zero to sixty time in 5.6 seconds and will go on to reach a top speed of 132 MPH; irrelevant numbers for most of us – no one buys an SUV like the Ford Edge for performance. Do they?

What, When, How Much?

The Edge will go head-to-head with the likes of the GMC Terrain, Honda CR-V, Nissan Murano and the VW Touareg, which means prices in the region of $29,845 – $40,000 for the fully-loaded flagship. It will be available in four trim levels – SE, SEL, Titanium and Sport.

Ford haven’t actually announced when it will go on sale, we know that it’s a 2018 Model Year, so it will be in the dealerships later this year, we’d expect to see it around September or October. The question is, do you get down there a little earlier and get yourself a cheap 2017 model instead? We’d have to say, that would be our choice – dealers will want to get rid of old inventory to make way for the new model, so bargains can be had, and with so little difference between the two models, it makes perfect sense to us. It just depends on whether you’re needing that latest model year.

The Rest of the Ford Edge 2018

Perhaps the biggest changes are on the inside … as we’ve already stated, the third-row has gone, Ford want to give their passengers a little more room, even if that’s just for their luggage – the new model has 117 cubic feet of cargo-carrying space.

Added to that, Ford have updated the trim materials, making the hard surfaces ‘soft-touch’, changing the trim materials slightly and putting a slightly higher dash in. Again, there isn’t much to write home about, but it is enough to keep the Ford Edge up to date and current.

Expect the usual array of safety equipment and features, especially when you’re handing over $30,000+. The current Edge has an NHTSA 5-Star overall rating (just dropping a star on the roll-over test) for safety, and that will carry through to the 2018 Model Year (primarily thanks to so little changing).

All-in-all, the 2018 Ford Edge is going to carry on pretty much where the 2017 model left off, which is no bad thing, unless you have an irresistible urge to have the very latest SUV in your yard. If you’re not convinced by the 2018 model and you don’t want a 2017 version, then wait that extra year because that is when Ford will be bringing out the next-generation Edge, which should mean lots of changes, both mechanically and styling-wise. Until then, there is plenty of other competitors in this strong segment – why not try some of the competition out for size? Brand loyalty isn’t everything!

What do you think to the Ford Edge? Should Ford have gone all-in and updated it now? Or have they done the right thing and held off for another year? Let us know in the comments – your opinion is important to us.

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Comments

Editor's rating

4.6overall

Safety4.6

Performance4.7

Design4.6

Features4.6

Fuel economy4.4

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